Baseball is a wonderful means to begin building citizens who will be our leaders of tomorrow. The game is a hypothetical life situation that can be used to instill those intangible qualities that are vital to a young man in today’s world. Qualities like courage, pride, dedication, hard work, sacrifice, confidence, enthusiasm, loyalty, and morality will be tested throughout a player’s career.
I believe that the game of baseball is broken down into two parts. First, teaching baseball and second, is coaching young men. One element is just as important as the other. As a teacher, I must have an expert knowledge of the game and be prepared at all times. As a coach, I must be a master in motivation, relate well, and educate kids in life long experiences.
The key to successful baseball teaching is the result. It is how much learning that goes on, is what counts. What I as a coach know and teach about baseball is worthless if the players being taught do not understand and apply it. On both offense and defense, I believe in pressure. I want my team to be the aggressors applying pressure on the defense at all times. I believe in playing baseball with controlled intensity.
The key to successful baseball coaching is the ability to relate to young men. Honesty and fairness top the list of necessary qualities and this is not an easy element when you must “treat all individuals the same, but you cannot treat two alike.” Rules must be enforced, but we must remember we are dealing with the minds of individuals.
Finally, I must have the desire and dedication to be able to rise to the heights we want our program to become. I must have capable assistant coaches to teach baseball and coach young men. There must be dedication, sacrifice, and loyalty from each staff member. I believe the head coach is only as good as his assistants. We must be a dedicated team in order to continuously produce good teams.